Learning to Breathe Again
by CoLtOnCaVaNaUgH
Summary: Rachel's ten year plan is now in ruins. Can Quinn convince her that this is just a bump in the road and that her plan isn't ruined just altered.
1. Broken

Breathe. In and out. Inhale and exhale. Her brain was telling her what to do but Rachel Berry was finding that her lungs were frozen as well as her feet. She knew that she needed to take air into her lungs just as much as she knew that she should move from the spot that she had been rooted to for what felt like hours but in all actuality was maybe fifteen minutes. It was amazing how not twenty minutes ago Rachel had thought that she owned the world and now here she was reduced to hiding in the shadows and watching as her entire life fell apart and she was helpless to stop it.

Rachel had a ten-year plan. She knew that if she were asked she would say that she would be in New York in the fall, that by the time she turned 25 she would be in an extremely serious relationship or married and that she would be staring in a Broadway play. That was the plan. Yet now she couldn't even form a sentence or make a sound. Because now at the age of 17 she was standing in the wings of the William H. McKinley High school auditorium watching the man of her dreams, the man that a week before had asked her to marry him, the man that she had said yes to kissing a Cheerio. Not only was Finn kissing this cheerleader he had his hand up her skirt. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know what he was doing. It wasn't until another Cheerio walked in the auditorium behind Rachel that time caught up to itself.


	2. Knight in Red and White

All Quinn wanted was to find Rachel to ask her about the assignment that they had due in Statistics. That was it. The two of them had formed a really good friendship this year, and much to the surprise of most of the school Quinn really did enjoy spending time with Rachel. She wouldn't say it out loud because it still surprised her at times but last week when Finn proposed to Rachel the first person Rachel went to was Quinn and that had made Quinn's heart soar. Actually there were a lot of feelings that Quinn was having for Rachel that made her nervous and slightly ecstatic. Quinn was sure that she knew what these feelings were having been there first hand to the Santana and Brittany saga that had been going on since 8th grade. Truth be told the feelings didn't scare her what did however was that she didn't want to loose Rachel and whatever type of friendship/relationship that they shared.

Since her car accident Quinn had been taking life by the balls so to speak and was finally starting to live the life that she wanted and not the life that others wanted for her. In her short life Quinn had only ever been truly surprised by anything the first being that day that she looked at the positive sign on the pregnancy test she took at 16. The other time high on the list was the day she gave birth and Puck told her that in his own way he did in fact love her. Now she was going to add to that list. She would look back on this day and say that she was surprised not only by what she saw center stage but also by how broken and beaten Rachel looked as she saw the man she had pledged to spend the rest of her life with fingering the freshman Cheerio that Quinn never liked to begin with.

"What the actual Fuck? Hudson!" Quinn exclaimed. Finn and the younger cheerleader jumped. Rachel on the other hand turned and bolted for the door.

"Quinn? Rachel!?" Finn yelled when he saw the brunette run for the door.

"You dumbass. You really think that this was the place for you to have your extra curricular with this freshman slut." Shouted Quinn. Who was now standing right in front of the guilty duo.

As a testament to her guilt the freshman Cheerio said nothing just turned and ran out the door knowing full well that she would get her punishment in practice once Quinn got done with Finn.

"Shut it Quinn. You don't know what's going on. Now excuse me I have to go find Rachel." Finn made a move to go past Quinn and she stopped him.

"I don't think that would be beneficial for you Hudson. I'll go find Rachel. You stay here and figure out what delusional excuse you can come up with." With that Quinn turned and stormed out of the auditorium.

Twenty minutes later Quinn found Rachel in the bathroom and balling her eyes out. Quinn had never seen Rachel so broken and so in pain that it hurt Quinn to look at her. Rachel was leaning up against the sinks when Quinn walked over and got a damp paper towel and handed it to her.

"The irony of this situation is not lost on me Quinn." Said Rachel matter of factly.

"What are you talking about?" Rachel just gave Quinn a look that said you know what I'm talking about. Quinn knew exactly what Rachel was referring to. A year ago they were in this same bathroom doing that exact same thing yet the roles were reversed Quinn had been the one with mascara running down her cheeks and now it was Rachel. Quinn had handed Rachel the towel and now was at a loss for what words of wisdom that would help. So she did the only thing that she knew to do and that was to pull Rachel close to her and tell her that things would be ok and that she wasn't going anywhere.


	3. Rebuilding the Broken Down

Two days. That was how long it took for the events that had transpired in the auditorium to spread around school. Rachel was surprised to say the least. No she wasn't surprised that everyone knew that her and Finn were over because of one little indiscretion (Finn's words), she was surprised that it had taken two days for everyone to find out. She assumed this was in large part thanks to the Quinn. She had heard from a little bird (one Santana Lopez) that Quinn made sure that Anne Marie, that was the freshman trollups name, knew that she had royally messed up when she had met Finn in the auditorium that day. So it was much to the surprise of Rachel that when she walked into school the next day that no one said a word about the events of the previous evening. Now however, the buble had been popped and when she walked into school that Friday morning with her head held high people stared at her and whispered behind her back about how she was now single.

"is it true that you lost your man to a freshman?" asked some random girl that stopped Rachel next to her locker.

"Keep steppin. Or do you want to deal with me?" asked the very scary Santana as she and Quinn appeared next to Rachel out of nowhere.

"S..so..sorry." stuttered the girl and she glanced at the floor and took off.

"You don't have to threaten everyone that talks to me San." Said Rachel but without any emotions.

"Look berry for what it's worth you shouldn't have been shafted like that. Finn deserves to have his thing cut off and fed to him." Stated Santana with a far off look in her eyes like she was imaging her own form of punishment.

"That's creepy as hell Lopez."chuckled Quinn. She put her arm around Rachel's shoulders and steered the smalled brunette towards the class that the three of them shared.

"You don't have to pretend to care guys. Finn's a football player and I should have seen this coming." With that Rachel slid out from under Quinn's arm and walked to class.

"Damn Q he did a number on the diva." Said a baffled Santana.

"We have to help her San. I have to show her that she's worth love and so much more."

"Wow Fabray you love her don't you?"

"From the moment I laid eyes on her."

"Then let's get your girl Q." Santana said with a smile and flung her arm over Quinn's shoulder.


	4. Inhale

Quinn had never really understood everyone's fascination with Finn Hudson, hers included. It was like the world was now turning on its side. It had been two days since the Rachel/Finn breakup and much to her surprise Rachel fell down the social ladder even farther than where she was before she started dating the giant. This was something that no one thought possible.

"What do you plan on doing?" asked Santana later that day after school.

"I don't know but I have to show her. San, I have to show her what she means to me. I need her to know that she's the reason my heart still beats."

"Whoa. Q, calm down. I know these things. I've seen a change in you since you put Beth up for adoption and when you look at the Hobbit I see you light up even if no one else does. My question is how?"

"That I'm not quite sure about yet." Quinn frowned and fell into the nearest chair.

"Sing to her. I mean look at what Puck did when they were dating. She melted. Plus I don't think Frankenteen ever sang a song to her. Show her you love her the one way that will mean more to her than words."

"That's a perfect idea Santana. I'll show her through song that she's the one for me and that I love her more than he ever did. But…But what if she runs out or rejects me in front of the whole Glee club?"

"Then you try harder. You never give up. Do you love her?"

"More than anything."

"Will you fight for her?"

"Till I draw my last breath."

"Then fight."


End file.
